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Players from both Hayden and Gilbert Christian offered a prayer for Santiago Pina at Friday night’s game. Students from Gilbert Christian also presented a donation for the family. A Lobo fan posted this touching photo to the school’s Facebook page. Pina was injured in a single-vehicle accident in August and remains in the hospital.
Copper Basin News
The Hayden football team has now lost four consecutive games after its most recent defeat to third-ranked Gilbert Christian last Friday. The Knights scored 35 unanswered points in the first quarter on their way to a 48 – 19 victory.
Trailing 42 – 0 to start the third quarter, the Lobos finally broke through on Ryan Donovan’s 38-yard rushing touchdown. Donovan also contributed to the Lobos’ next score when he threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to receiver Michael Guerrero. A failed PAT made the score 42 – 13 at the end of the quarter.
Hayden freshman Noah Monroy closed out the scoring when he rushed for a 30-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The Lobos host Baboquivari this Thursday. The Warriors are coming off their first win in nearly seven years, ending a 68-game losing streak that dates back to 2008. They defeated Arete Prep last week, 54 – 40.
Thursday’s kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Andrew Luberda began writing for Copper Area News Publishers (CANP) in February 2013 after working 15 years in Healthcare Financial Management. Andy covers sports for 11 high schools. His stories are published in Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner and Superior Sun, in addition to the San Tan Valley Daily PRSS and CopperArea websites. Additionally, he has written human interest stories and business profiles. In May 2012, he earned an AAS in Sports Management at Central Arizona College before graduating with a BS in Communication from Arizona State University in 2014. He and his wife, Kelli, have three sons – AJ, Kyle, and Kade.
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